Number of East Midlands folk in work continues to rise

Published:14:39Updated:15:26Wednesday 17 May 2017

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Despite a month-on-month rise in the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance, the number of people in work in the east midlands continues to rise, according to official figures released this morning.

The regional unemployment rate, already at a 42-year-low of 4.05 per cent for the three months to February 2017, has fallen to 3.9 per cent for the quarter to March, data released by the Office for National Statistics shows.

Unemployment in the East Midlands for the three months to the end of March fell 18,433 from 111,966 to 93,534. Employment for the period increased 2,237 from 2,277,976 to 2,280,213.

The number of people in work was 25,585 higher than a year earlier and 40,523 higher than two years ago.

And the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance in Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, while still lower than the 37,055 of two years ago, increased by 390 from 32,280 in March to 32,670 in April this year.

Chris Hobson, Director of Policy at East Midlands Chamber*, said: “The figures released this morning reaffirm the robustness of the East Midlands regional economy.

“Despite all the politically-driven pressures and uncertainty businesses face at the moment, here in the East Midlands we continue to make things to sell around the world, we continue to innovate, we continue to create jobs and wealth and we continue to be a major contributor to the national economy.

“The Government, whatever colour it wears after next month’s General Election, must continue to recognise the importance of the East Midlands to UK plc and make sure that, as a region, we receive investment for growth commensurate with the contribution we make.”